Dear Friends and Neighbors, 

 

Spring is here in Minnesota, although it may not look like it outside. At the legislature it means that the pace is picking up with legislative budget targets released and Committees race to pass bills before their final deadlines next week.

Note: There will be a bus from the Rochester Area for $25 per person fee, round trip.  The bus will load at the old Shopko North lot Rochester MN. Load at 9:45 and leave at 10:00 Sharp! Return, bus will load at 2:30.  If you want a seat contact [email protected] directly.

Last week, we got the Governor's wish list, with a unsustainable  27% increase in spending and wealth distribution instead of tax relief for those who overpaid their taxes to create this $19 Billion dollar state budget surplus. This week it was the Democrats in the Legislature's turn.  They released their "joint target agreement."

 

The targets, which may or may not be where we end up at the end of session include brand new agencies, more government employees and lots more more money for the education bureaucracy and their "green new deal" programs. They claim there is $3 billion in tax relief in the bill, but I sit on the tax committee and we will see if it is real relief or just more credits to people who don't pay taxes. 

 

Small businesses beware, you'll have new payroll taxes, recordkeeping and employee costs if "Paid Family and Medical Leave" and "Earned Safe and Sick time" pass in their current form. 

 

The targets provide a roadmap of where the budget is likely to end up but the process will be interesting to watch as Democrats scrap over which programs to include, since they have spent the targets several times over with their proposals.  

We are halfway through this legislative session, and those deserving taxpayers are still waiting. So far this year, even though I voted against each of them, this Legislature passed the world’s most extreme abortion bill and a blackout bill that will cause family energy bills to spike and jeopardize our grid. We have provided driver’s licenses to illegal aliens and given convicted felons the right to vote before finishing their sentence. So what's taking Democrats so long to provide tax relief? 

 

Don't get me wrong: there are plenty of important infrastructure projects we could and should be funding this year, including two top priorities in our district that I have been working especially hard on, The North Zumbro regional wastewater project and John Burch Park in Cannon Falls.  I am also supporting other critical infrastructure projects carried by other members that would benefit our district and our state. Just to clarify things a bit since a few of you have called my office to ask about my vote on our projects last week-- North Zumbro  was not in either bill and John Burch was in another bill that was pulled by the Democrats in a fit of anger when the vote on their first bill did not go their way. We never got a chance to vote on the second bill. 

 

Instead of working with us to put together a package that's truly good for all Minnesotans, Democrats have decided to push their own partisan agenda. They are doubling down on their hard core partisanship by holding marathon hearings to fund projects in ONLY their members communities, funding non profits that support their agendas and more importantly to them, their re-election. They'd rather fund Democrat political organizing in Minneapolis than clean water in a Republican area.  It's disgusting. 

 

Minnesotans have been overtaxed by $19 billion, yet Democrats' first item of fiscal business is to put more spending for their friends on the state's credit card. It's a classic case of putting the cart before the horse, and it's the wrong priority.

 

So let's get our priorities straight. Republicans are standing up for overtaxed, hard-working Minnesotans. With a $19 billion surplus and countless citizens struggling to afford daily life, tax cuts must come first.

At the legislature, when you are in the minority party, you know that your bills will not get top priority with the leadership which is controlled by the other party. Nevertheless, I and other Republican members continue to work to find common ground on bills that fix problems (often caused by government) for our state, and our district.

 

This week, I received a hearing in the Tax Committee on my bill  SF 2345 for the Pandemic Unemployment Tax exemption extension for high schoolers. Young people who were laid off during the pandemic and received UI were taxed on it, unlike adults. It was an issue that didn't affect many people but it did hit a small group of young adults who had the misfortune of getting laid off right as they were working to pay for college and training.  I also had a hearing for SF 1793 the North Zumbro project  and SF 313 the Mazeppa fire reconstruction tax exemption extension a few weeks back. Next week I have a hearing for SF 2896 which straightens out a repayment issue for a nursing home in Red Wing. 

 

Not every issue at the capitol is a partisan one although those are the ones you are more likely to hear about.  I am optimistic that we will get a few practical and helpful laws passed this year.  

In the last couple of weeks I've had visits from city and county officials from the district on their days on the hill, as well EMS, EMT, Paramedic and Emergency dispatch day on the Hill.  The Minnesota Ambulance Association has a annual award, the Stars of Life. David Kohs of Elgin Ambulance Service and Sadie Keller of Wabasha Ambulance Service are Stars of Life. Stars of Life publicly recognizes and celebrates the achievements of people working in the selfless and heroic ambulance industry. The Stars of Life Award is an award by the Minnesota Ambulance Association to honor outstanding individuals as a thank-you for their service, their sacrifice, and the inspiration they bring to all of us. I thanked them for their service!  

Clockwise from top, members of the Elgin and Wabasha ambulance services with award winners, (Ryan Marking, Wabasha,  John Fox, Elgin,  Sadie Keller, Wabasha, David Kohs, Elgin and Deb Crary, Elgin)  League of Minnesota Cities, representing Goodhue, Pine Island, Wanamingo and Zumbrota. North Zumbro Sanitary Project community leaders. 

Please contact me to share any issues, concerns, or feedback you have to assist me in best representing you.  The best way to reach me is by email at [email protected] or by phone at 651-296-5612. My legislative assistant is Margaret Martin, and her number is 651-296-4264.  

Sincerely,

Steve Drazkowski

Minnesota Senate, District 20, Wabasha, Goodhue, Winona, Olmsted, and Dakota Counties.

2411 Minnesota Senate Building

95 University Avenue W.
Minnesota Senate Bldg.
St. Paul, MN 55155